Liquid-fuel feed for explosive-engines.



Patented Jan. l4, I902.

A. w..u|.us. LIQUID FUEL FEED FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES. (Application filedjJ'une 19, 1901.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet L I mmmo W THE NORRIS PETERS cu, moTouTHn, wxswmcmam u c,

Patented Jan. 14

A. W. OLDS. LIQUID FUEL FEED FUR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed June 19, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

Patented Jan. l4, I902.

w. mus. LlllUlD FUEL FEED FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed June 19, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

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PATENT ALFRED WV. OLDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,989, dated January 14, 1902. Application filed June 19,1901. Serial No. 65,161 (No model.)

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED W. OLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Fuel Feeds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to those devices for automatically supplying fuel in a vaporous condition mixed with air to engines.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, safe, and sure device which will antomatically permit the flow of just the right quantity of fuel into the vaporizing-chamber and mechanically vaporize the fuel that is allowed to flow into the chamber and cause it to become thoroughly mixed with the necessary amount of air.

The embodiment of the invention that is illustrated by the accompanying drawings has a supply-chamber adapted to be con nected with a reservoir of liquid fuel and containing a cup holding a sealing liquid, which cup is connected with a float in a chamber above, so that it is movable toward and from the end of a passage from the supply-chamber to the float-chamber in order to cause the liquid to close and open the passage as the quantity of fuel in the float-chamber varies. The float chamber communicates with the vaporizing-chamber through a spraying-nozzle, the area of the orifice of which is regulated by a finely-adjustable valve and is protected by a gauze screen in the vaporizingchamber between the air-inlet and the vaporoutlet, the areas of which can be simultaneously regulated.

Figure 1 of the views shows a side elevation of a form of liquid-fuel feed that embodies the invention. Fig. 2 shows a central vertical section of the same feed. Fig. 3 shows a horizontal section of the feed, takenon the plane indicated by the broken line 00 a: of Fig. 2; and Fig. a shows a vertical section taken through the vaporizing-ch amber on the plane indicated by the broken line y y of Fig. 3.

The shell 1 is preferably cast to shape of brass. The supply chamber 2, which is adapted to be connected with a reservoir of I liquid fuel, such as gasolene or a liquid of similar nature, is separated from the floatehamber 3 by a diaphragm 4;. Supported by this diaphragm is a tube 5, that at the bottom opens near the lowerend of the supply-chamber and at the top opens near the upper end of the float-chamber.

In the supply-chamber and movable toward and from the lower ehd of the tube is a cup 6, containing a small quantity of dense liquid, such as mercury. This cup is by a wire 7, that extends through the tube, connected with the bail 8 of a float 9 in the floatchamber above. A bushing 10 is placed in the top of the cup to prevent the mercury from spilling and guide the cup and mercury up and down toward and from the lower end of the tube. The upper end of the tube shown is threaded to receive a cap 11, in which is a small opening for the passage of the wire which connects the cup with the float-bail. This restricts the end of the passage through the tube and prevents mercury from being carried by the fuel up through the tube into the float-chamber. The opening in the tube near the upper end is enlarged, so that any drops of mercury which might collect there will readily flow down the tube. The opening through the cap is made small to restrictthe flow of gasolene from the supply-chamber to the float-chamber.

The supply-chamber has a screw-vent 12, so that chamber may be filled full of gasolene. The upper end of the float is closed by a cap 13, in which is an air-vent 14. A horizontal passage 15 leads from the float-chamber to a vertical passage 16, that communicates with the opening 17 in the atomizing-nozzle 18. Near the inner end of the nozzle the opening tapers to a small area, so that the orifice 19 through the beveled end of the nozzle is quite small. The body of the nozzle is provided with a thread that screws into a threaded socket in the shell. The threads are so arranged that the beveled inner end of the nozzle will stand with the innermost point on the lower side. Turning in a female thread in the outer end of the nozzle is a threaded spindle 20, with its inner end tapered to form a needle-valve, which will cooperate with the tapering end of the opening for regulating the size of the orifice through the end of the nozzle. The threaded valve-spindle has a head the tube.

21, by which it may be rotated, and a nut 22,

by means of which it may be locked in position after it has been adjusted.

In the interior of the shell 23, which forms the walls of the vaporizing-chamber 24, is a cylinder 25. This cylinder at its upper end has a head 26, by means of which it maybe rotated, and at its lower end has a cap 27, which closes the chamber and holds the cylinder in position. An opening 28 is made through one side of the cylinder for the atomizing-nozzle, and ports 29 30 are made through the other side, adjacent the air-inlet 31 and vapor-outlet 32. By turning this inner cyl inder the areas of the air-inlet and vapor-outlet may be simultaneously changed. The outlet-port in the cylinder is preferably made greater in height than the inlet-port, so that the outlet will always have a somewhat greater area than the inlet. Supported by the cylinder in the vaporizing-chamber each side of the atomizing-nozzleis a conical screen 33,formedv of wire-gauze. A spring 3% may be placed upon the diaphragm 4, beneath the float 9, to assist in counterbalancing the Weight of the mercury in the column and cup. When the float drops, the mercury column in the tube falls and the mercuryin the cup rises. This increases the weight in the cup, and consequently increases the weight which the float has to support. As the weight in the cup increases the tension of the spring 34 increases, and thus counterbalances the weight and keeps the displacemeht of the float practically the same whether the mercury is all in the cup or is forced up into the long tube by the pressure of the fuel. Air passesin through the inlet and becomes thoroughly mixed with the hydrocarbon fuel that is blown out of the nozzle, and the mixture is drawn through the outlet to the explosion-cylinder in the usual manner.

As the fuel is drawn into the vaporizingchainber from the float-chamber the float descends, and the cup containing the mercury drops away from the lower end of the tube with the passage from the supply-chamber to the float-chamber. This permits more of the fuel to flow from the supply;chamber through the passage into the float-chamber and raise the float until its level is such that the mercury in the cup closes the passage through The, pressure of the fuel in the supply-chamber, which is preferably connected with a tank that is located at a higher level when the float is raised, forces the mercury into the tube, so as to prevent any of the fuel from passing up from the supply-chamber to the float-chamber. By'this means the level of the fuel in the float-chamber is kept constant.

There are no mechanical valves to refuse to work, get out of order, or become worn out. The parts are simple to construct and easy to assemble. The passage through the atomizing-nozzle can be accurately regulated, and as a result of the constant level just the required amount of fuel will always pass through the nozzle. The quantity of fuel that will thus be presented for mixture with air will always'be uniform, so that the best explosive results can be attained. The parts of the nozzle are so arranged that they may be quickly removed and cleaned, and the area of the air-inlet and vapor-outlet may be coincidently adjusted so as to allow just the proper amount of air to enter and vapor to pass out. The end of the nozzle is so shaped that liquid will not collect and drop off in a solid body, and the screens assist the atomizing of the liquid and also prevent any possibility of flame reaching the nozzle.

I claim as my invention- 1. Aliquid-fuelfeedhavingasupply-chamher, a float-chamber, a float in the float-chamber, a cup containing a dense sealing liquid located in the supply-chamber and connected with the float, a fixed tube extending vertically from the supply-chamber to the floatchamber for the passage of fuel and opening into the cup to permit the entrance of the sealing liquid as it is forced up into a column in the tube by the pressure of the fuel in the supply-chamber, a vaporizing-chamber, and a passage from the float-chamber to the vaporizing-chamber, substantially as specified.

2. A fuel-feed having a supply-chamber, a float-chamber, a passage from the supplychamber to the float-chamber, a float in the float-chamber, a cup containing a dense sealing liquid located in the supply-chamberand connected with the float, a vaporizing-chamber, a passage from the float-chamber to the vaporizing-chamber with an adjustable valve controlling the opening to said passage, and a rotatable cylinder movable in the vaporizing-chamber and having an air-inlet port, a

mixture-outlet port and a fuel-opening between the inlet and outlet ports, the inletport being the same width but of less height than the outlet-port, whereby when the cylinder is moved the air-inlet and mixture-outlet ports are simultaneously opened or closed without changing the relative proportions of their areas and without affecting the vacuum which draws the fuel into the cylinder through the valve, substantially as specified.

3. A fuel-feed havinga supply-chamber, a float-chamber, apassage leading from the supply-chamberto the float-chamber, a float in the float-chamber, a cup containing a dense sealing liquid located in the supply-chamber and connected with the float, a vaporizingchamber, a passage leading from the floatchamber to the vaporizing-chamber, a needle-valve located in said passage for regulating the area of the outlet-orifice, a rotatable cylinder fitting the walls and extending through the vaporizing-chamber, said cylinder being free to rotate but held against longitudinal movement in the vaporizingchamber and having an air-inlet port, a mixture-outlet port and an opening for the needle-valve between the inlet and outlet ports,

whereby on the application of a Wrench to the end of the cylinder the air-inlet and mixture-outlet ports are simultaneously opened or closed Without changing the relative proportions of their areas, substantially as specified.

4. A fuel-feed having a supply-chamber, a float-chamber, a passage leading from the sup ply-chamber to the float-chamber, a float in the float-chamber, a cup containing a dense sealing liquid located in the supply-chamber and connected with the float, a vaporizingchamber, a passage leading from the floatchamber to the vaporizing-chamber, a needle-valve located in said passageforregulating the area of the outlet-orifice, a rotatable cylinder fitting the walls and extending through the vaporizing-chamber, said cylinder being free to rotate but held against longitudinal movement in the vaporizing-chamber and having an air-inlet port, a mixtureoutlet port and an opening for the needlevalve between the inlet and outlet ports, whereby on the application of a Wrench to the end of the cylinder the air-inlet and mixture-outlet ports are simultaneously opened or closed without changing the relative proportions of their areas, and gauze screens supported in the cylinder and inclosing the outlet of the passage from the float-chamber, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a vapor-fuel feed, of a vaporizing-chamber having a fuel-inlet, an air-inlet and a mixture-outlet, a cylinder fitting the walls of and extending through the vaporizing-chamber with heads whereby the cylinder may be rotated but not moved longitudinally, said cylinder having an air-inlet opening and a mixture-outlet opening of the same width but different heights, substantially as specified.

6. Aliqnid-fuel feed having a supply-chamher, a float-chamber, afloat in the float-chamber, a cup containing a dense sealing liquid located in the supply-chamber and connected with the float, a fixed tube extending vertically from the supply-chamber to the floatchamoer for the passage of fuel and opening into the cup for the entrance of the sealing liquid as it is forced up into a column in the tube by the pressure of the fuel in the sup ply-chamber, substantially as specified.

7. Aliquid-fuel feed having a supply-chainber, a float-chamber, a float in the float-cha1nher, a spring located in the float-chamber beneath the float, a cup containinga dense sealing liquid, located in the supply-chamber and connected with the float, a fixed tube extending vertically from the supply-chamber to the float-chamber for the passage of fuel and open ing into the cup for the entrance of the sealing liquid as it is forced up into a column in the tube by the pressure of the fuel in the supply-chamber, substantially as specified.

ALFRED W. OLDS.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. OLDS, H. R. WILLIAMs. 

